The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions was created to cultivate harmony among the world's religious and spiritual communities and foster their engagement with the world and its guiding institutions in order to achieve a just, peaceful and sustainable world.

To accomplish this, we invite individuals and communities who are equally invested in attaining this goal.

Our Vision:

The vision of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions is of a just, peaceful and sustainable world in which:

Religious and spiritual communities live in harmony and contribute to a better world from their riches of wisdom and compassion

Religious and cultural fears and hatreds are replaced with understanding and respect

People everywhere come to know and care for their neighbors

The richness of human and religious diversity is woven into the fabric of communal, civil, societal and global life

The world's most powerful and influential institutions move beyond narrow self-interest to realize common good

The Earth and all life are cherished, protected, healed and restored

All people commit to living out their highest values and aspirations.

Our Opportunity:

We live in a world of difference. Yet, we are interdependent. Nowhere is learning to live with difference more important than religion.

Too often, religion is

misused as an instrument for division and injustice, betraying the very ideals and teachings that lie at the heart of each of the world's great traditions. At the same time, religious and spiritual traditions shape the lives of billions in wise and wonderful ways. They gather people in communities of shared beliefs and practices. When these diverse communities work in harmony for the common good, there is hope that the world can be transformed.

The first World's Parliament of Religions (1893) was held in conjunction with the Columbian Exposition in Chicago—took place at the Permanent Memorial Art Palace, now known as the Art Institute of Chicago. It opened on September 11, 1893, with international representatives of the world's religions present. An Indian delegate, Swami Vivekananda, riveted the audience with his call for religious tolerance and an end to fanaticism. Over the next several weeks, thousands of attendees came to hear Swami Vivekananda and other leaders speak, making the Parliament a watershed moment in interfaith dialogue.

The Parliament is always seeking to partner with those in the area who are passionate about our vision for a just, peaceful, and sustainable world.